Come Back To Me
by VellichorDynasty
Summary: (Post events of Uprising.) All is calm after the fearsome battle against the Mega-Kaiju, but things take an unexpected turn when Newton Geiszler manages to escape his imprisonment. Much to Hermann's dismay, he doesn't have much time before something unspeakable happens. Determined, he sets out to find him, hoping to bring Newton back before he gets himself hurt. Or worse, killed.
1. Chapter 1

Ever since his first time drifting with a Kaiju, things were off. But not entirely at first. It only worsened as the days went by.

The first sign was nightmares. He'd be asleep in his bed, resting after a long, tiring day from dissecting Kaiju blood and learning about how their parts worked. Well, it was either that or purposely bothering his lab partner, Hermann.

The visions would come in flashes, but despite how quick they came, they were petrifying. Not only that, they dragged on for longer than it actually was. On the outside, it was quick, but to him, it felt like eternity.

The ghostly, obsidian eyes of the monster that would stare back at him. Its grey, scaly body and disturbing ambiance that would radiate off its body. Blue plasma dripping out of its jaws in huge amounts, a demonic growl echoing from the back of its throat. What made it worse was that there was something else there besides the very creature itself.

A voice. Talking to him. Telling him what to do. Telling him who he is.

A voice taking over his body. His soul, his mind, himself.

Then everything grew dark. Sometimes everything would light up in a splintering white, only the monster unchanging in its place. He would hear a clicking sound, then screaming, terrible screaming, before the Kaiju would lunge and snap its jaws around him.

Newton would wake up with a start, his body jerking as he sat up, gasping for breath as if he had been under water for so long without oxygen. His skin would be drenched in sweat, heart pounding heavily in his chest, fear pumping through his blood. He would draw a hand up to his head, his forehead beaded with moisture as he panted, his mind disoriented as he tried to adapt to what was happening.

The first word that would come to his mind was danger, but that's what he thought. He'd realize he wasn't in danger; that it was just another one of those dreams, no, nightmares, he had almost every night.

The nightmares that would never leave.

That was ten years ago.

The side effects of drifting with a Kaiju brain never left.

He wasn't the same man from before.

He wasn't the same Newton Hermann knew.

And somehow…he managed to escape.

They didn't know how it happened, or why. One of the security officers had went in to check on him, and he was gone. How did he manage to get past security? They don't know the answer to that, too.

But it shouldn't have been the security officer to check on him.

It was supposed to be Hermann.

He had gone to do something important; he wasn't expecting someone to intervene in his business – to put their nose where it shouldn't be. He was pissed, actually. No one was supposed to have access to Newton except him. He knew him best, and he was best fit and classified for the job to figure out what was exactly wrong with the young man, and he was best suited to fix him.

If it was him who had checked on Newton, and if he had seen that he was gone, he wouldn't have told anyone. He would've blocked off access to his imprisonment, and set off to find him himself.

Unfortunately, not all things were in his favor.

Now he was in a rush. He had to find Newton first before anyone else did. He was currently making his way down the hall, walking as fast as he could, his injured leg not allowing him to run full capacity.

God knows what could happen if they got to Newton first. What if they hurt him? They didn't know what they were doing; all they saw was a threat. Yes, he was a threat but…it's not his fault. He isn't himself. It isn't _Newton_. It wasn't the Newton he knew. So his job now was to locate him, talk some sense into what was left of his personality, and make sure he doesn't get himself killed. He didn't think it'd be this way, but he hoped that Newton's alternate evilness wasn't stupid enough to get both him _and_ itself killed. As much as it was forbidding to imagine, the Precursors were as intelligent as humans were.

Considering all things, they were even more so intelligent with the possession of a human body. A _scientist_! Out of all things, it was a scientist, who now knew too much for his own good. The knowledge the Precursors had access to was extravagant. The things they could do with it were abysmal.

Now the problem Hermann faced was one that didn't hand him an easy solution. Where would he find him? Or them? It was best to check the places a Precursor would run off to first.

Thinking the day was just as bad as it already was, Hermann had to face a greater problem than before. Finding his lab partner in the huge city of Tokyo. Or, should he put it more accurately, the destruction and demolition of what's left of it.

He didn't know how he would be able to find him, but he was determined to accomplish it. His life depended on it, quite literally if he put it so. He knew the others were already searching for him. Hell, they were probably already further in the streets and closer to him than he was. He had to get a move on, and quickly.

Where would a human, Precursor induced individual, hide in a place like this?


	2. Chapter 2

Hermann reached his hand out, swallowing thickly.

"Trust me on this."

"No. Stop. Don't do this to yourself."

"I know you're in there."

Newton smiled. He just smiled. That's it. His hands were cupped together, and with a tilt of his head, the red hue of his bloodshot eyes were glimpsed. His hair was ruffled, splayed out messily, that if not under these circumstances, Hermann would've advised to make himself presentable, because it was improper to appear in such a poor state.

He gave a small chuckle. A slight one. Then it grew. It turned into a laugh, a maniac laugh that gave off an unsettling creepiness. It was enough to send chills up Hermann's body. He found no pleasure in what he was looking at, especially that it was coming from his _lab partner_. It was so…inhumane.

"You found me…" Newton crooned, cocking his head to the other side. "Now what?"

Hermann raised his head, his lips pressed tightly together as he tried to think around the situation. If he wanted to get it done his way, he was going to have to be cautious.

"Come with me…" he began, hesitant at first. What was one supposed to do when dealing with someone who was out of their mind?"You'll be better off that way," he insisted.

"I'm not going anywhere…why, it's such a stupid thing to do…" the other scientist said, getting off the counter he had been leaning up against. He locked gazes with Gottlieb, his face inscrutable. "No. No, I came so. Fucking. _Far_."

Every time he shot him that look, it pained Hermann. A stinging feeling in his chest that reminded him how unnaturally distant he was from his friend. Or was it former friend?

"I'm not going back now. Not after everything I've worked so hard for. I'm not letting some pathetic human race defeat us. We _will_ have our victory."

Hermann blinked a couple of times, clearing his throat and letting out a deep breath through his nose. He shook his head, seeing that his point wasn't getting across.

"You don't understand, Newton. They're coming for you. They're going to _kill_ you. You're not safe, you're not – you're not yourself." If only he knew how much danger he was in, maybe then he'd understand.

Newton gave a light laugh, flashing his sharp toothed grin, the same very one that he would give when he had annoyed him. One he would give after giving a ridiculous statement.

"What are you talking about? I've always been myself," he replied, crossing his arms now. "In fact…" he said, licking his lips. "I feel so _alive_ ," he whispered, his green eyes glazing over as he stepped forward, his arms lowering to his sides as he clenched his fists.

"I think…" he whispered, "if I want to bring the Kaiju back…"

Hermann wasn't sure where he was going with this. How was he possibly going to get this man to think straight?

"I'm gonna have to rid of my problems…starting with _you_."

Newton advanced, closing the gap between them, and in an instant he had his right hand wrapped around his friend's throat.

Hermann choked out as he was forced back, his back slamming against one of the ashy walls in the room. He struggled to breathe, his brows raising as he stared down at the younger man in shock.

Newton glared at him, tightening his grip harshly and leaning his face in, now inches apart from the other scientist's own.

"If it wasn't for you I would've had world domination!" he growled, his eyes narrowing, and Hermann swore he saw his pupils dilate abnormally.

"But no, it's your damn fucking fault it was killed. You had to tell them it was me, tell them I was behind it all," he sneered, his voice lowering dangerously, almost into a delicate whisper. "I thought we were best friends."

It was getting difficult to breathe properly, Hermann's hands drawing up to grip against Newton's own that was pressing him against the wall.

"R-Release—m-me!" he sputtered, pain starting to slither up his injured leg from the sudden weight he was reluctantly putting on it.

"I'm going to make you regret not keeping your mouth shut…" Newton said, tilting his head as he glowered threateningly, pulling his right hand back for a split second before slamming his victim back against the wall again, causing him to grunt in pain. Newton's free hand was drawn back to his side, his palm facing upwards as he flexed his fingers. Hermann breathed in sharply, his gaze flicking to the other man's hand. Despite his wriggling in an attempt to free himself, he paused; something alarming came to his attention as he overlooked the hand itself – that…wasn't…- it was something not even Hermann could come to explain in terms of words. The disbelief was too strong.

But before Newton could slash his face, the sound of bullets firing filled the air, resulting in the immediate release of Hermann. He collapsed down onto the ground, his cane leaving his grasp as it fell sideways away from him. But that wasn't of importance at the moment. His wide eyed gaze shifted upwards as he watched Newton throw himself behind one of the counters for protection, an angered yell of frustration coming from him. The active bullets seemed to bounce off the wall, the thundering force of it causing grey ashes and dust to sprinkle down from the worn ceiling. The atmosphere immediately became clouded with the particles.

The bullets stopped, and movement from the left caught Hermann's attention. Turning his head to look, he saw a team of police officers rush into the large room, guns positioned in their hands as they searched for their disappeared target. Two of the officers aimed at Hermann, whom of which raised his hands up in defense and shook his head.

"No, no, easy!" he called, wincing from the pain that was returning to his leg once again. "Don't shoot him!"

"Where is he? He was just here," one of the officers demanded, switching on his gun's radar detector. It was setting up rather quickly, and once it was to be done, he'd be able to pinpoint their target.

"Prisoner found, I repeat, prisoner found. Sending nearest location check, backup needed," another officer said into his walkie-talkie, slipping it back into his belt.

"Now, there is absolutely no reason to kill him! Allow me to remind you all that he's our only key to finding out how to get to the Kaiju through the breach!" Hermann said. Half of what he was saying was true; well, technically it was true without sentimental feelings. They wouldn't listen to him if he used his reason of 'oh, it isn't actually him'. He doubted they would listen to him either way.

The humming of laughter suddenly made way to their ears, and everyone turned their attention to the counter, guns aimed and ready to take out whatever was the source hiding behind it.

"Dammit, Newton…" Hermann exclaimed quietly, reaching his arm to the side to get ahold of his fallen cane. Argh, it was right there…! If he could…just…reach it…!

"Show yourself! That is an order!" one of the police officers yelled, his gun clicking with a single tug of his finger, indicating its prepared intention.

"Oh, this is so funny…!" a voice came from behind the counter. There was no movement whatsoever. Yet. "Is this a party? It was almost the end of the world, and here I am…hiding. Well, you know what they say!"

Hermann turned to look at the counter, fearing the worst.

"If you want something done yourself…" Newton declared, standing up slowly from where he had been crouched. The police took some steps forward, the scopes on their guns all settling and stilling directly on his head. One bullet and he'd be dead.

He smiled. His green, bloodshot eyes connected with his lab partner's own. Hermann's blood turned cold when the younger scientist spoke again.

"…you gotta do it yourself," Newton growled, his voice intermixed with a demonic presence, one that wasn't his own anymore.

"FIRE!"


	3. Chapter 3

"FIRE!"

" _NO_!" Hermann screamed, and he swung his cane up at the nearest officer, striking the core of his neck. He stumbled back, his shot just barely missing his objective. The rest of the officers; somehow, to some inexplicable miracle, were thrown off course from the sudden attack of their fellow comrade.

Newton was already moving himself, having chosen someone to attack. This particular officer noticed him coming, and he hurriedly elevated his gun to shoot him squarely in the chest. The chance was stolen from him, however, as his weapon was knocked out of his grasp, much to his misfortune. It was also accompanied with horror, as blood suddenly came gushing from the fresh wound on the side of his face, claw marks in its wake. He screamed out in anguish, clutching it and taking uneven steps back before he was shoved down onto the ground. In a matter of seconds, the scientist leaned down and with a swift twist of the officer's neck, the life faded from his eyes. Deeming him as no longer a threat, Newton straightened himself and whipped his head toward the other officers, seeing that half of them had their attention on him, and the other half had their attention on Hermann.

Huh, how interesting, the old guy had managed to get himself up and be useful for once. That only served as a benefit for him.

"Shoot him!" two of the men said, pulling the triggers on their guns, and the bullets came blasting out in a boisterous manner.

Newton narrowed his eyes, clicking his tongue as he chose to deal with the one on the left. He bolted toward them, and to their surprise, he did this while ducking, the bullets missing him completely. They didn't have the luck of shifting their guns down as an immense, grave burning met their abdomens, and it was agonizing enough to the point where they dropped their weapons, bending over. It was an invitation to inescapable death, as Newton grabbed one of the guns and shot them both in the head with a single bullet each, their bodies falling onto the floor limply.

Newton's head pricked as he noticed one of the officers holding his walkie-talkie, probably alerting others of the situation. But his body was thrown back from the force of a bullet, penetrating straight into his forehead, both his weapon and walkie-talkie falling to his sides.

They were all dead. The ones Newton killed, and the ones…

Hermann stood back, his chest heaving as he took huge breaths, recovering from the sudden battle he had decided to get himself into. He had managed to knock out two officers, ones that if he hadn't done something about, this could've all gone much worse than originally intended.

He looked up, realizing it had gotten quiet, too quiet. He spotted Newton there staring at him, and then he spotted the gun held tightly in his left hand, at the side of his thigh.

Shit.

"Newton, don't." Hermann started, outstretching his hands in a defensive posture. He took a step back, praying to all that was good that this man wouldn't do something he'd regret.

"Hm," the other scientist cooed, lifting his weapon and resting it against the palm of his other hand, it being positioned diagonally – not exactly directed at the older scientist, but not exactly out of range from him. "What to do, what to do?" he said in a joking manner, his voice's pitch wavering in a mocking octave. He said it as if he wouldn't be responsible for future deaths, because if you asked him, it was an accident. Or it wasn't him, he'd swear!

"I could let you live. You know, for choosing to help out," he said, tapping the firearm delicately with the tips of his fingers, or, more accurately, claws. Hermann found his attention lingering to them, swallowing down his confusion and what felt like slight fear. He was bewildered to the sight; if he had been calm, he would be asking so many questions aloud, but he kept them to himself. How was it possible? Scientifically speaking. How did his fingers go from, well, fingers, to claws? There was no explanation. And that was only a minor part of his body. He didn't want to find out the rest of the things the side effects of drifting with a Kaiju can do. To his dismay, whether he liked it or not, there were high chances he'd find out soon.

"Orrrr…" continued Newton, looking down to the weapon, shifting it a bit in his grasp. "I could kill you. Be free of my worries, no more problems. Look at the bright side; I'd be doing us both a favor. You won't have to worry about Kaiju, because that's my main thing really, and I won't have to worry about you screwing up my shit!" he exclaimed with a smile, laughing a little as he finished his sentence.

Hermann wasn't sure what he was going to do. Judging by the situation he was stuck in, there was no way out of it. He had no tricks up his sleeve this coming of time. And it was just the two of them. An unarmed and an armed man, face to face. What were the likes in his favor of this actually turning out to be safe? He didn't even know if he was going to survive. Worst of all, getting murdered by the hands of your own friend, no, _best_ friend, wasn't the way one would like things to end. But it was sicker that it wasn't actually _him_. Yet, that brought him to another question that he had refused to formulate an answer to: or _was it_ Newton himself? Was this just a misunderstanding, something the drifting tweaked in his mentality? Tricking him into believing that the Kaiju were Gods? Or was this someone else entirely, keeping the good of him at bay and using his body to their advantage for the sole purpose of revenge and world control?

It was another surprise that came to Hermann, bringing him back to reality as he realized a factor here changed.

Newton shuddered, his face contorting as his body seemed to spasm for a moment. He rapidly blinked his eyes a few times, bringing a hand up to his temple.

Viewing this as a distraction, Hermann took a step forward, knowing that it was too early to start running just yet. It would be a foolish thing to do, knowing that he was dealing with someone who was deranged and distraught, their actions so far up to this point not being sane enough to justify why he was more good than bad.

 _It isn't his fault_ …

Newton shook his head, not noticing that the other man was slowly nearing him. Maybe he _did_ notice him, but whatever was causing him to react the way he currently was may have required his attention more than it actually needed, if he wanted things to go _his_ way. Why let a simple distraction mess up everything? He'd kill himself for it, for being so stupid.

Of course, positive outcomes never seemed to like the good guys.

Just as Hermann neared, merely by a foot, Newton noticed him, his vision flooding back in as he regained his senses. His expression turned angry, but instead of taking use of the weapon he still possessed, he dropped it. The angle it had landed in once it smacked the floor just so happened to switch the trigger, blasting a bullet.

Hermann jumped back from the explosive sound, expecting excruciating pain somewhere, _anywhere_ on his body, but finding it to be on the contrary. The bullet hadn't hit either of them, thankfully. Instead, it deflected off one of the rock – strewn walls, clanging onto the gravel ground with a _ping_. He watched with wide eyes as Newton took several steps back, his upper body slouching forward at the very slightest, as if he himself was being defensive.

"Get. Away," Newton threatened, bumping against the same counter from before. His hands fumbled as they slid up his sides, his claws clicking against the cold surface of it. He gasped out, it being obvious he was enveloped in pain from the way he hunched over, bringing his hands up to his ears to cover them.

Hermann was unaffected. If anything, he was baffled – whatever sound his friend was hearing, was only present and audible to him only. He didn't hear anything himself, so it was definitely one of the side effects kicking in. Either that, or his ears had somehow gotten bristled up from the gun shots minutes ago, though he highly doubted it.

"Newt – Newt…! Can you hear me?" he tried, taking hesitant steps towards him. Getting close to someone suffering the effects of Kaiju drifting was definitely not the wisest thing to do. _Especially_ if they had grown _abnormalities_.

Newton's eyes were squeezed shut, turning his body over so he was leaning over the counter, appearing to use it as support so he wouldn't buckle over. His panting was rather quick and cut in between. It didn't take too long before he started emitting his pain verbally, strained whines and gasps sounding from his throat.

Hermann suddenly paused as the other man edged away from the counter, lifting his head up sideways so he could stare at him, his pupils thinned to slits and his cheeks lightly fresh with red tints. Without saying a word, he suddenly ran towards one of the exits.

Hermann would've called out for him, but he knew it was to be useless if he did. He watched, discouraged, as his former friend rushed out of the damaged building in a heap of panic, his cries of pain ghostly echoing back to him. Soon, it stopped completely.

Oh, how things were so out of order.

Hermann looked down, holding a hand up to his face in stress. What was he going to do?

Out of all mixed things, one of them was clear: follow Newton and make sure he doesn't get killed. After he succeeds with that, he was going to have to talk some sense into him. He knew he could get him to listen, if he did it the right away. It's just that…he hoped there _was_ some of Newton left in there…


	4. Chapter 4

Newton cursed under his breath, his heart beating wildly in his chest as he ran. He had to find cover, and quick, if he wanted to succeed. He spotted a ruined store in the distance, its fractures spread around its entirety. It was a wonder it didn't collapse yet, but it met the requirements for a fleeing Kaiju induced human.

He hastily sprinted through the entrance, the absence of the door resulting in a rectangular opening. He came to a stop in the middle of the room, leaning against one of the many tables found inside. Upon first glance, he came to realize he chose refuge in a restaurant. It was completely deserted inside, glass and broken chairs splayed across the floor in scattering spots. At the back, there was a large wooden plank, blocking access to the other two doors there. Surely this was from the Kaiju attack he had planned. The one that failed miserably.

The thought of his plans failing sparked a fuse in him, annoyance and irritation beginning to edge at him. Ten years, and for what? For it to all go down in ruins. Failure.

Stupid. He was so stupid.

"Should've killed him the first time…" Newton jeered, hitting a closed fist against the table, causing it to shake. His stare lowered, a look of envy in his eyes. Plan, plan, plan…come up with a plan.

Perhaps he could kill them off himself. Avenge the Kaiju. This would be his apology for his disappointing actions in the act. Yes. That would work.

In order to do that, though, he needed to make some… _adjustments_ to his form.

It would be painful, but it'd be worth it.

"Alright Newt. Time to show your friend you're truly gone. No hope of bringing you back, no hope of you two being together. Something about you makes you so… _entertaining_ ," Newton said softly, the corners of his lips tugging into a smile as he let out a disturbed and crazed laugh, his head tipping back so his face was directed to the ceiling.

His laughter stopped when pain flared up his back, causing him to double over, slanting away from the table. Gasping out, he tumbled to the floor, crying out as atrocious pain spread through the rest of his body. Intense heat waved over him, and it felt like the very room itself was rising to an uncomfortable temperature. Newton cried out as his skin began to sting, sharp sensations striking his frame. It felt like knives were piercing through him, and he fell over onto his side, holding his head tightly from the excessive torture that was digging into his body.

From outside the restaurant, an earsplitting scream of anguish could be heard. It was half human, half Kaiju.

Hermann wasn't sure which direction Newton had taken. Which only made things worse.

"Oh great," he breathed, doing a slow semi spin to take a good look at his surroundings. He didn't see any movement that could indicate his friend's location. He was surprised; Newton didn't usually run _that_ fast. Sure, he could disappear in just a couple of seconds, but from his point of view, it wouldn't be clever to stick around those who wanted you dead. Which meant running far from here was best suited. Yet how the hell did he leave so fast?

Justifiably, walking further into the city was currently the smartest thing to do. He was certain his friend didn't retreat to the Shatterdome. So there was only one way to go, and that was straight.

He made his way down the wrecked path, stepping over debris from the battle that had occurred much earlier in the day. God forbid another one were to happen soon, or preferably, at all. He looked from side to side, watching as the large, towering buildings of the city stood tall. Some of them were destroyed completely, some torn in half and others being completely ripped from its roots. Pipes and dirt could be seen from the leftover ruins at the ground, rubble scattered amongst the ground.

"Where could you be," he muttered in a strained manner. The only sounds he could hear was his cane next to him, clacking against the concrete ground as he took his careful steps, as well as the hollow, eerie swishes from the steady wind.

It came to his attention that they weren't off the hook just yet. The police officers from before had succeeded in notifying the rest of the base that the 'suspect was found.' Drat.

Hermann quickened his pace, understanding the rise of seriousness the situation was undergoing. Another realization came to his head: he was basically considered an open target out here. They might mistake him as who they were looking for. And that would not end well.

"For the love of God…Newton, where are you, dammit…!" he said, gripping his cane tight as he continued his search for the young scientist. The silence stretched on for minutes, until…

Hermann was able to catch a sound in the air. It was there, distant; so slight that one could easily dismiss it as nothing. However, this was an indicator, and upon stopping in his tracks, he could still hear it. It _was there_. It sounded strange, awfully strange. Almost like the same, disastrous calls of the Kaiju that were spreading havoc across the city. It couldn't be it, though. The Jaegers, or more creditable, Jake Pentecost and Amara Namani, had killed it and saved the human race. The sound he was hearing couldn't be an actual Kaiju. It was just impossible. Unless, doubtingly, it was the ghostly screeching of their looming, cold and heartless souls.

Then he caught movement.

It was in the same direction he had been walking towards, the same, large and wide path of debris. It was a fair distance away from him, far enough down the other side that he had some trouble making out its defining features. He couldn't tell if it was a car or a human.

The possibility of it being a car was crossed off his list as three, slender appendages sprouted from behind it, and it had seemed to get to the middle of the path, precisely proportional to the spot he was standing in. Then, it turned around slowly, two dots of blue light shining from it.

Hermann's eyes widened, fearing that the impossible just came true.

He had high hopes that it was Newton. Though its size was a factor that explicitly said it wasn't human at all.

It wasn't a car.

It wasn't a human.

It wasn't Newton. (Surely, right?)

Hermann took a step back, his breath catching in his throat.

It was a Kaiju.


	5. Chapter 5

But how?

They were dead! They had been killed! Every last one of them!

Hermann, being the wise man he was, had put the broken pieces of the puzzle together.

It was definitely a creature of sin, judging by the way the appendages were waving back and forth.

Shit.

If he thought things couldn't get any worse, he was wrong. Whatever he was seeing, whether it be a Kaiju or some other creature that was unidentifiable, it had noticed him.

And it was already running towards him at full speed.

"Gods…" Hermann whispered, taking a few steps back from the shock. He snapped out of his momentary trance and turned around, beginning to run himself. Unfortunately, running as quick as he could was out of the question due to his injured leg. His speed was appalling, and he cursed under his breath as it caused him to limp awkwardly as well.

He figured that if he kept straight, he would be killed instantly once it reached him. And there was nowhere he could hide. The area he was now in had no undamaged structures that would aid in his protection. That thing would probably sniff him out in a matter of seconds if he even attempted to hide.

The roar of the creature met his ears, and it was much closer than before. He dared a look over his shoulder.

It was halfway across the path.

Hermann stopped running, turning around quickly and watching with wide eyes as the Kaiju neared in a flash. He could feel its weight pulse through the ground with each deafening step it took, its blue eyes glimmering brightly and reflecting off all pieces of glass around them.

This is it. This is how he dies. Thinking all the Kaiju were dead – but they were unmistakably wrong. One they missed, one undetected, and the consequence was his death.

He didn't even have the chance to find Newton. Maybe it already found and killed him first.

The Kaiju was within ten feet of him. In a matter of seconds, it was four.

But it slammed down its legs, skidding against the concrete and kicking up dust and pebbles as it suddenly slowed down, its speed decelerating swiftly.

It stopped right in front of Hermann.

The scientist's own body was tense, and he was expecting to be dead. His eyes were closed from the feared embrace; he had heard the sound of something sliding in a way to stop its movements, prompting him to open his eyes slowly, blinking in the slightest of confusion.

He was met with the eyes of the Kaiju, its snout mere inches away from his face.

Hermann, for once, didn't know what he was supposed to do. At least, in the logical aspect.

He was hoping for a miracle right about now.

A low rumble made its way around them, and the creature narrowed its eyes, tilting its head.

Then it did something unexpected; something Hermann would probably never be able to explain using numbers and equations.

"Doctor. Gottlieb."

Hermann blinked hard, his expression hard to decipher and his lips pressed tightly together in a straight line, its symmetry breaking from its lopsided corner. He opened his mouth, uncertain of what to say. He was convinced he was out of his mind. He was going crazy, surely. He did not just hear it talk to him. And he was going to be crazier by talking back.

"H-How…I…" he started quietly, clenching his cane hard, his knuckles turning white. It almost hurt, but nonetheless he still did it, leaning most of his weight onto it.

"You seem so distant…why is that?" said the Kaiju, its blue tongue slowly passing over from one corner of its mouth to the other. Its size was menacing, but surprisingly small for a Kaiju. It was almost as tall as him, only taller by a couple of feet.

Hermann shook his head, trying to regain himself and keep his composure steady. It wasn't trying to kill him, which was…good, he supposed. But…he was so lost. So, so _lost_.

"I thought you would be saying something considerate, in attempts to bring back your little friend…"

Hermann's head pricked, knowing immediately who was being referred to. With this, came a shuddering shock. He shook his head, ideas and thoughts already speculating in his head in a wave. No. It couldn't be. Of course not.

"Must I remind you of our last interaction? You helped us kill those infuriating humans with the guns…"

Hermann felt like everything was rushing towards him, and it took him a bewildering moment to understand what it meant. No. No…it couldn't be.

"…Newton…?" he whispered, taking a cautious step back and now placing his free hand on top of the other one, holding his cane down in the same spot it had been.

"Not precisely…" the Kaiju said, pulling its head back and raising it vaguely. "I _do_ thank him for allowing me use his body to physically enter your pathetic world."

"What…?!" Hermann said, his eyes widening. "No, no…impossible! You're spitting lies!"

The Kaiju was just messing with him. It had to be.

"There's no point in lying, Doctor Gottlieb. Now…from now on, you will refer to me as Alice."


	6. Chapter 6

If her body would physically let her, she would be smiling. Or, if she was in Newton's body, he would be smiling instead.

"Tell me, human…" Alice whispered, stepping around Hermann and circling him slowly. He didn't move an inch, no, not at all. He stayed in his spot, unmoving; not even turning his head to watch her every move. Maybe the reassuring thought of 'if it wanted me dead, it would've killed me a long time ago' was replaying over and over in his head. That was the only comfort he had right now.

"What is your greatest fear?"

Hermann swallowed, raising a brow. He watched from the corner of his eye as the Kaiju's head reappeared from his left, now coming to face him once more. She spoke again, not giving him a moment's time to even think of an answer. He wasn't planning on answering that question, anyways.

"I think I can figure it out myself…" she said, her tails intertwining with each other. Blue ink surfaced upon her lips, seeping into the cracks of her scales and trailing down her jawline, dripping onto the concrete ground. A sizzling could be heard with each drop as the liquid hit the cement, light tufts of smoke rising from the pebbles underneath.

"It's losing the one you hold close to your heart, isn't it?"

Hermann's gaze was connected with hers, and his expression was still hard to make out. His look was distant and, almost uncaring; as if he was disinterested in this conversation. But what he was actually doing; what a sensible man would truly do; was hide his emotions.

"I'm not going to let you manipulate me."

"That's the last thing I intend on doing." She tilted her head, what sounded like a demonic laugh echoing from her. "Besides, I already did that to someone and got what I wanted. _Almost_."

Hermann narrowed his eyes, knowing very well what she meant. Oh, how it almost burned to hear those words spoken in such a calm way. As if there was nothing wrong with what she did in the past. It had no emotion, no remorse, no guilt whatsoever.

Alice began to move again, this time nearing closer to the man. She was face to face with him once again, and he could hear the growling coming from the back of her throat.

"How much did you love him?" she asked quietly, her eyes glinting their blue hue. "What would you give to get him back?"

Hermann bit his lip now. He didn't notice that the steady rhythm of his breathing faltered, its pattern now wavering. He looked down to the ground.

"I'd do anything to return him to my side."

Alice tilted her head, more of the liquid from her mouth dripping down. "I've got to say…He was pretty amiable. Naïve, high spirited…"

She neared just a bit closer, her voice lowering to a whisper, laced with venom. "Weak…"

"He wasn't strong enough. He didn't fight back when I had access to his mind. Once I had total control of him, he was so willing to abide to our rule."

"He would _never_ …" Hermann sneered, opening his eyes now and glaring firmly at the creature. "I know he's still there, he's a good man."

"If he was a good man then why did he turn on you?"

That was something that made him think. Something he couldn't answer. Or, refused to answer. He didn't dare to believe that Newton had voluntarily agreed to help the Kaiju destroy their world. Their own world. He didn't think he'd spend a second too long thinking on this.

"That's exactly what I thought," hummed Alice. "I was lucky enough to have an easy host. Not that there'd be a difficult one. No, all of you are unworthy to live."

"That is where you are wrong," Hermann stated. "Our technology was proven to be efficient enough to defeat your kind, and we can do it again."

"Unlikely. Look at where you are. No one knows we're here," the Kaiju said. "No one knows _I'm_ here…"

She leaned in, a growling coming from her throat once again. "And once I'm done with you, I'll open up the breach…then we will all come crawling into your world…and take what is _ours_ …" she hissed, digging her claws into the ground.

Hermann didn't seem to be at all affected by what she was saying. He refused to listen to her lies, her attempts to manipulate him and send him into a pit of never ending fear. He knew better than to fall for such a foolish trick.

"Or better yet, I could be nice enough to let you live long enough to watch your world end…let the chaos kill you instead…that'll be so fun to watch…" The blue color in her eyes glowed vibrantly into Hermann's own, her reflection bold. "Maybe I'll be considerate enough to let your friend live…"

Hermann turned his gaze to her, the last sentence sparking a sudden hope. "What?"

The feeling of hope was immediately drained as the resonance of shots filled the air, yellow sparks flashing upon Alice's face. She jerked back suddenly, roaring out furiously as she violently slammed her tails against the ground, glaring around for the attacker.

Hermann had fallen back from the powerful force, his cane falling out of his grip. If he hadn't jerked himself forward, he would've hit his head on the ground, and that wouldn't have been a desirable outcome. He stared up with wide eyes at the flying bullets that seemed to be coming from behind him; luckily he hadn't been shot. And it had to stay that way.

He flipped around, now on his stomach as he looked up behind the two of them, and he saw it. There were police almost everywhere he looked, all coming from one of the large buildings up ahead. They were accompanied with helicopters, two on either side and hovering high in the air, two officers from each compartment taking aim at the Kaiju.

Alice shook her head, dropping down onto her front paws and leaping over Hermann, to which he covered his head, storming towards the armed forces.

Uncovering himself now, Hermann reached for his cane, then proceeded to push himself up once it was in his grasp. It took a moment, but he managed to stand up, regaining his balance and leaning onto the staff as he breathed out heavily.

"Lord…" Hermann breathed, seeing that the Kaiju was already midway close to the team of security. She faced deceleration, however, as they kept firing at her, bullets clashing against her dense plates.

A conclusion here was to be made. If they killed Alice… Hermann felt his heart skip a beat, the worst coming to mind. They'd kill Newton with her.

What was he going to do now?

If he told the commander to stop their attack, he'd be seen as crazy. They might as well throw _him_ into a cell instead. And even if they did stop their attack, Alice wouldn't. She had no mercy in her. Kaiju never had mercy.


	7. Chapter 7

It was as if the world had stopped. Everything he had come to known didn't matter anymore. What he was seeing was beyond his nightmares.

" _Newton_!"

The young scientist was curled up on the floor, his body shivering unnaturally with his arms held in close to his chest.

Hermann rushed up to his side, kneeling down in front of him and laying his cane away. He took ahold of his friend by the shoulders, carefully turning him over onto his back, his own frame shaking in sync from the hold. His eyes widened at the sight, a sickening sensation forming in his chest. It was far worse than he had ever expected.

Newton's face was covered with streaks of blood, and his hair was ruffled and messy, his mouth clenched shut tightly. His arms seemed to be lightly burned, or bruised – it was difficult to tell. His clothing was awfully dirty, the white pieces on his clothing littered with ash and grey tints.

What worried Hermann most was the young man's unexplainable shivering and whimpering. It appeared as if he was intertwined in a nightmare, an escapable torture that was causing immense stress to whoever had the misfortunate to experience it. Whatever Alice had done to him, his body was not reacting well to it.

It could _kill_ him.

"Newton, Newton…! Wake up boy," Hermann urged, giving his friend a firm yet gentle shake, lifting a hand to his cheek in an effort to bring him to consciousness. He had to get up, he just _had_ to. He wasn't going to leave him!

Hermann could feel his concern growing as seconds ticked by. The dark thought of his friend not waking up, never waking up, began to creep up in the back of his mind. He tried to shove it away, but it wanted to plant itself there, ripping apart his faith to shreds.

Somehow, after long moments of dread, something clicked.

Newton's eyes shot open, revealing those familiar green eyes Hermann missed to look into. He took a huge, gulping breath, his hands reaching out to clutch something within reach. He grabbed the other scientist's arm, squeezing it rather harshly, but Hermann didn't feel it at all. He was dwindled in a wave of feelings: shock, relief, desperation. The fact that his friend had opened his eyes and was now _moving_ was enough make him at a loss of words.

Newton's eyes dilated as the light pouring through the cracked windows struck them, and his line of sight landed on Hermann first. Seconds flashed by in a swarm, and his head did a sort of broken nod, trying to subdue his uncontrollable shaking.

"H-H..-…" It came out as a whisper, his voice allowing him one letter before cutting off.

"Shh, shhh…" Hermann ushered quietly, the hand that he still had on his cheek trailing down a bit to his neck. "Don't talk. You're alright…"

Newton swallowed, inhaling sharply through his nose. He didn't break his gaze with the other scientist; he didn't think of it. By now, his shaking had subsided majorly, but it was still there. Hermann could feel the tension in his neck gradually release, until he felt him relax into his hold, the grip he had on his arms also loosening.

Hermann gave a subtle nod, his lips pressing together firmly.

"You're here…you're safe…" he said, offering a comforting tone for the dazed scientist. "Everything's going to be okay."

He didn't remember a time in his life where he felt so happy. To see Newton alive and back to his normal self, he was so grateful.


	8. Chapter 8

"C'mon…"

The two of them were heading back to the base. In other words, the same, widened path that had been used by good and evil.

Up ahead, Hermann could see the corpse of the Kaiju. Around it was pools of blue, luminescent blood.

He remembered the battle. The violent, disconcerting battle between human and monster. Alice was relentless; the fire in her eyes that was enough to make someone think twice about what they were going to do. One of the helicopters had lost control; the Kaiju's claws managing to swing down on its tail; crashing down onto the disordered ground, its explosion sending a wave of heat that even Hermann felt from where he had been standing so far away. The three lives on that plane were lost, but it barely compared to how many people were already dead. Luckily, the team of officers knew they only had one more chance to take down Alice. And that was when they brought out their missiles.

One rocket sent propelling into the middle of her skull, right when she least expected it. And that was the end of it.

" _You will all die! I'll kill all of you!" Alice hissed, leaping up towards one of the flying helicopters._

It was almost _too_ easy. Killing a single Kaiju with just a missile, it seemed too good to be true. Yet, Hermann figured her only purpose coming into this world was to be smart enough to open the breach. Strength and size hadn't been on her side.

They were still fairly far away, though it wouldn't take too long to reach the other side. He wasn't sure if Newton had noticed the body just yet. He spared him a glance, finding him staring down to the ground as they walked side by side.

He was definitely exhausted. He could tell by the dark rings under his eyes, his hands loose at his sides as he only kept his gaze downwards. Hermann also noticed that he was limping; he wouldn't have been able to tell if he didn't watch long enough. Not wanting to draw attention, he returned his eyes back forward, squinting as the sun's bright, warm rays met his vision.

It was already sunset. Perhaps if the atmosphere wasn't so dark, especially having faced the dangers of losing someone he held close to his heart, he would've said something about how pretty the sight was. There was a time and place for everything, sadly.

So they walked the path towards the sunset. One mind at a loss, the other in remorse.

As they neared the bridge, their presence was acknowledged from headquarters.

Hermann lifted his left hand up in the air to signify their peace, just in case.

Once they saw him, they were attended to immediately. Some of them were security, and they possessed hand guns, all of which were raised up and aimed at both Hermann and Newton.

"No need to shoot," Hermann shouted, and he swore he felt a ball of pity in his chest as he felt a hand place itself onto his shoulder. "You can all put your guns down, if you please."

The security didn't seem to oblige, but they stepped back as a woman came into view, three suited men following close behind her.

Liwen Shao.

She came to a stop a few feet away from the two friends, her gaze concentrated on Hermann before it turned to Newton.

She flicked out a gun, loading it in a single click and aiming it directly at Newton.

"Oh shit!" he cried, stepping back and raising his hands up for defense.

"No, no, no, Miss Shao, put the gun down. Don't shoot," Hermann quickly said, stepping in front of the other scientist and looking straight at her.

"Why should I," she sneered, her eyes narrowing dangerously as her positioned weapon remained unmoving. "He betrayed us. He initiated the Kaiju attack. He sided with the Precursors."

Newton glanced around at the facing audience, fear edging up his throat as he took count of how many guns were being pointed at them. At _him_.

"Miss Shao. I already informed you of this…" Hermann stated, his brows furrowing as he took on a rather serious expression. "It wasn't his fault."

"I don't believe that," she replied, edging the end of her gun to a more…accurate point.

Hermann walked towards her, stopping a few inches in front of her gun.

"Don't make me explain this in front of him. He's had enough to deal with, Liwen," Hermann asserted, not breaking his eye contact with her. "You will put down the gun, and I will expect Newton Geiszler to be safe in this facility."

Liwen kept her narrowed gaze, wavering her options.

She put down her gun swiftly. If looks could kill…

"Thank you," Hermann said, but there was no sense of gratitude in his voice whatsoever. He turned to his friend, who was stark still in his place. The poor guy was holding his hands from the anxiety he was overwhelmed with.

"Come, Newton," Hermann said, catching his attention and gesturing for him to follow. The other scientist wasted no time in heading to his side.

With a raise of her hand, the officers lowered their weapons, standing back in a uniformed manner and giving up space.

"Let's go," Gottlieb said, still holding his stern gaze with the woman before breaking it as he walked towards the large facility building in the distance, his friend keeping up beside him.


	9. Chapter 9

Hermann didn't have to worry about Newton's safety anymore. Well, at least from everyone else present in the building.

He made his way down the hall, his footsteps echoing quietly along with his clicking cane. There were doors on either side of the walls that led to rooms, usually used as places for sleep.

He came to a stop to the last door, letting out a deep breath he didn't know he was holding. His hand hovered above the knob, uncertain if he should turn it. He found himself touching it, however, and he thought it'd be best to head in. There was nothing to be afraid of now.

Turning it with a click, he pushed the door open gently, more of the room becoming visible the further it went. He stepped inside the room, looking down to the floor as he did so and shutting the door just as slow when he had opened it, allowing it to click shut. His eyes passed over the lock. After a brief moment of thinking, he shifted it up to lock the door.

The scientist turned around, skimming the room in search for a particular someone, and his gaze paused on them.

At the corner of the room was a bed, and sitting there, next to the pillows, was Newton.

He had watched him enter all the while remaining silent, hands clutched together as he straightened his back from the slouched position he attained moments ago. The time he spent in the room was used to clean himself up and change into clean clothing. And that's what he had done, just as Dr. Gottlieb suggested him to do. He always knew best.

Hermann progressed to him, stopping at the foot of the bedstead. His hands were atop of each other on his cane, which was centered in the middle and front of his legs. He tipped his head downwards a bit without removing his sight from the other man.

Newton didn't look at him. He had his own line of sight directed to the floor, finding it more interesting to observe than anything else present in the room. Not literally, but, the tension between them was starting to rise to an uncomfortable point. It wasn't certain if it was tension exactly, however.

"Heh, hey…" Newton said, refusing to move an inch. "I…uh…" he trailed off, not sure on what to say.

Hermann stepped closer to him, now proceeding to sit on the bed as well. Setting his cane against the stand, he turned his head to look at the other man.

"How are you feeling?" he asked. It was a simple question, yet there was more meaning behind it. It was best to start things slow. Especially for this situation.

"Ehm…I could feel worse," Newton replied, raising his head a little. He couldn't explain what he was feeling; heck, he didn't _know_ what he was feeling. It was all a whirl to him. It felt like he had fallen asleep for just a few seconds, only to wake up and find out he's here, recovering from an incident after 10 years. Ten years of his life stolen from him. Not thinking straight, not knowing what he was doing, pushing away who he loved. No, pushing away the _only_ person he loved.

"Look man, uh…I fucked up…" he said softly, bringing a hand up to the back of his neck. He remained unmoving, eyes flicking over the floor then lifting up to the wardrobe across from them. He bit his lip, clearing his throat, hating the feeling that was lingering deep in his chest.

Hermann raised a brow, his expression unchanging. "I don't see it that way."

Newton turned to look at him now, his face bleak and crestfallen. There was nothing that could kill what he was feeling.

"…I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize. At least to me," Gottlieb stated with a shake of his head.

"But I still fucked up…did you see what I did…?"

"I indeed saw what you did, Newton," Hermann said. "It does not give me any reason to think negatively about you—"

"Yes it does!" the other man cut in, so suddenly that it was unexpected, he even surprised himself from the rise of volume in his voice. He had his hands up, enclosed in fists that were gradually becoming tighter the more his thoughts spun. "I'm the reason why the Kaiju came back." He swallowed hard, feeling the urge to cry crawling up his throat. "I helped the Precursors, I, I gave them access to my mind and I—"

"Newton." Hermann's sentence was sharp enough to cut him short. "Please do not put yourself at the center of blame. You know very well what happened, both you and I alone. There is absolutely no motive to why you deserve to be attacked."

Newton looked at him incredulously. "I _helped_ them! I HELPED them! I created a plan that would help them destroy all life on Earth! I was blind, I didn't fight back, and I let them control me!"

"They _manipulated_ you, not changed you," Hermann insisted, shaking his head. "You didn't know what you were doing was wrong."

"But I still _did it_ ," Newton rasped, his voice straining as he waved his hand in gesture to himself, his hand shaking. "If it wasn't for me there wouldn't have been another Kaiju attack." He held his gaze firmly against the other man, drawing in a sharp breath as he struggled to maintain his composure. He forced himself to look away, squeezing his eyes shut and bringing his hands up passing them through his hair and clutching his scalp. "I had to fuck things up…so many people died…they died because of me…!"

Hermann leaned forward, bringing forth a hand and placing it against Newton's back, scooting over so he was sitting right next to him.

"Listen, Newton…" he tried, his voice being as low as a whisper. "You're going to be just fine."

What happened next was something he wasn't prepared for, or at least expecting to occur within a moment's reach. The smallest of sounds came from him; it was faint, barely audible, but it was there. Hermann's heart dropped as he felt a shake come from his friend, followed by another one. Then, he began to cry – tears brimmed in his eyes as his face twisted to that of deep regret.

"I-I'm a m-monster!" Newton choked, colors swirling in his darkened vision. It hurt. It hurt so much. "People hate me now! They hate me more!" he cried, his body trembling as he began to sob now, digging his nails into his head. "I killed thousands of innocent people…and you say it isn't my fucking _fault_ …!"

Hermann blinked, and without question he wrapped his arm around the young man's waist, bringing him in close to his side. They both felt the increase of heat exchange between them; a method to offer comfort nonverbally.

"Newton, quiet, quiet…" he whispered, bringing him into a sort of embrace. He had his left hand cupped against Newton's right cheek, whom of which had his forehead pressed against his shoulder. Gottlieb had his own face buried into Newton's hair, refusing to release him. He had no intentions on letting him go. He could almost feel the pain his friend was going through, if not worse.

"..I'm so sorry…!" he gasped, breathing in and out roughly for air, leaning hard against his lab partner's body. His lip quivered as he struggled to form sentences, waves of heat surfacing upon his body.

"Newton, I've already forgiven you…there is nothing to be sorry about…please calm yourself," Hermann said, in hopeful attempts to ease his troubled friend. He didn't need him to spiral into an anxiety attack…he knew how those turned out.

"You shouldn't trust me…!" Newton managed to breathe, his voice wavering in between sobs. "Not after what I've done…!"

"It may seem impossible now," Hermann started, pulling himself away and holding the other man by the shoulders. His face was downcast, his vision blurred from the excessive tears that were forming in his eyes. Though, the other scientist lifted his chin using his index finger, prompting him to hold eye contact with one another. "But everything will work out in the end. Do not focus on the past – there is nothing you can do to change it."

Newton swallowed back a sob, attempting to draw away, but he was held firmly in his spot from his friend's hold.

"Stop being so difficult," Hermann sighed. Behind his amber eyes; concern and trust could be seen. "I hate seeing you like this."

Newton closed his eyes, biting his lip as his crying stifled, trying to force himself to stop. "I let you down…I ruined everything and now…it's all gone to shit…I'm not good enough…" he whispered, a tear sliding down his cheek.

"Of course you're good enough, idiot," Hermann replied firmly, passing his hand over the young man's hair. "Never say that…you know I care about you very much."

Newton lifted his eyes to meet Hermann's own. He blinked, sniffing weakly as he held his hands together. He could feel his heart pumping strongly against his chest, his lungs aching and burning from his harsh sobbing.

"Hermann…?"

"Yes?"

"…I love you…"

Hermann dipped his head, his eyes flicking between his friend's own.

"I love you, too, Newt."

He pulled him into a hug once again, holding him close. Newton wrapped his arms around him as well. He wouldn't let go. Not for the world, not for anyone.

 **A/N: This is the final chapter of 'Come Back To Me'! I hope you all enjoyed reading, and thank you for staying until the end. Please review and let me know what you all thought. Feel free to share any ideas for future fanfictions or any tips you may have for my writing! I'd love to improve, and reviews keep me motivated to continue writing fanfictions. Once again, thank you all! Until next time!**


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